A – About

This blog is intended to assist in understanding how industrial wind power fits within total electricity systems. Some of the information relates specifically to Ontario’s (Canada) electricity system, but is generally useful from an illustrative point of view. Many of the considerations are general, and references will be made to electricity systems in Europe, North America and Asia.

The US National Academy of Sciences has determined that electrification was the most important technology advance of the twentieth century that contributed to the betterment of mankind. However, generally speaking, it is also a major contributor of man-made greenhouse gas and other pollution emissions, but not everywhere. Therefore, it is important to human welfare that we understand as fully as possible this vital resource, electricity, and make the best possible decisions in its production and use. This must be considered in both the short and intermediate terms of 10-30 years, and then the longer term beyond that. In my opinion, unless this important distinction is made, policy errors will be made in the short to medium term.

I have been retired for eight years and have spent a great deal of time researching electricity generation in a number of countries, with particular emphasis on new alternative energy sources, and especially wind power, which has become the popular choice of these new technologies. It enjoys a considerable amount of favourable attention when electricity generation matters arise in the minds of people generally, the media, environmental and naturalist organizations, government organizations and politicians. Is this deserved? We will see.

I have a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario. However, I spent most of my working life in many areas of the information technology industry. I became interested in this subject when a wind farm (I will refer to these in future as industrial wind plants, because this is more accurately descriptive) was announced about 20 kilometres from my home in Prince Edward County, Ontario, Canada. I noted much discourse in local papers which I found to be very emotional, not based on fact, acrimonious and divisive. As a result, I started on a program of research, which I like to believe is more objective than most of what I observe.

My international contacts, all fairly casual but with whom information has been shared, include the principal of an energy consulting firm in Denmark, a British scientist who spent some time in Denmark doing official translations in his field (biology) and who has written about Danish wind power experience using documents that have not found their way into English, a few contacts in the US and one in Australia.

In evaluating the available information I have prepared my own models of the operation of the various aspects of electricity systems. These are necessarily much less complex than those used by experts in the various fields involved. Although there is some play in any numbers I provide, I maintain that robust conclusions can be drawn from my less complex models.

Ben Achesonsaid

Another video for you! Called ‘Why Green isn’t always Good’. It exposes that politics is driven by green policies, despite few voters electing green politicians, because being ‘green’ is seen as fashionable. This is often the same reason for the unrelenting spread of windfarms.